First the background:
2000 Chevy Silverado 3/4 Ton
6.0L motor
4L80E 4 speed auto trans w/ cooler
3.73 Rear End
55,000 miles
Towed the STS Civic to an event this weekend on an open trailer. When I
got there the front of the trailer and car were covered were covered in
what I thought was oil. Upon further investigation it looks like I'm
losing ATF through the overflow hose. Level had not changed before the
trip. I used to tow in overdrive per the dealer's suggestion. I began to
get concerned about too much heat in the transmission while towing (it
started shifting very hard while towing for long distances) so for the
last few trips I've been towing in third gear to reduce shifts. I tend
to tow "quickly" (75-85 mph) which in third gear translates to about
3500 rpm's. I've also noticed in the last 2-3 weeks that when the tranny
is cold it sometimes slips when first starting out in first gear. The
truck revs up then feels like it drops into gear and jerks forward.
Any ideas? Am I turning the trans too fast for too long and pumping the
fluid out? Should I go back to towing in overdrive (seemed to work
pretty well on the way home today)? I'm planning to take it to the
dealership in the next few days, but I wouldn't mind having an idea of
what might be wrong. Thanks in advance!
Scott Sawyer,
Team Underdog Racing,
STS 22, 91 Civic Si
http://www.teamunderdog.com
|